The Third Day is a story told over six episodes and in two distinct halves. The first – ‘Summer’, directed by Marc Munden, sees Sam (Law), a man drawn to a mysterious island off the British coast where he encounters a group of islanders set on preserving their traditions at any cost.

The second – ‘Winter’, directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, follows Helen (Harris), a strong-willed outsider who comes to the island seeking answers, but whose arrival precipitates a fractious battle to decide its fate.

The Third Day is a co-production between Sky and HBO. It is the first original drama to be produced by Sky’s new production house, Sky Studios, in partnership with Plan B Entertainment, the world-renowned immersive theatre company Punchdrunk International and writer Dennis Kelly (Utopia, Pulling).

Cameron Roach, Director of Drama, Sky Studios, said: ‘We are thrilled Naomie is joining the cast of Third Day, it’s a real testament to the combined vision of Dennis Kelly and Felix Barrett. The prospect of Naomie and Jude Law, alongside an array of incredible British talent, with Philippa Lowthorpe and Marc Munden directing really demonstrates the quality and ambition of this distinctive, original drama.’

Creator Felix Barrett, Artistic Director at Punchdrunk International said: “Filming for The Third Day has begun and it’s been a remarkable experience seeing our shared vision come to life. We’ve followed both Naomie’s and Philippa’s careers for several years, and we are thrilled they will be joining the production.”

The six-part limited series will air in the UK and Ireland next year on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW TV and in the US on HBO.

The Third Day is the latest in a string of recent commissions as Sky continues to invest in original productions. Sky has recently committed to more than double its investment in original, drama, comedy and documentary through Sky Studios, the commissioning and production arm of Sky. Sky Studios brings to screen unique stories from the very best talent in Europe and is the creative home of Sky’s award-winning and much-loved Sky originals.

Forthcoming Sky originals include Temple starring Mark Strong, Catherine The Great starring Helen Mirren; a second series of Jez Butterworth’s Britannia and a second series of Save Me staring Lennie James and Suranne Jones. 2019 has been a record year for Sky originals with 19-time Emmy-nominated Chernobyl becoming the most watched original ever with over 4 million viewers of the season finale. And away from the screen, Sky secured a record BAFTA haul with seven awards.

Harris is repped by Untitled, The Artists Partnership, WME and Ziffen Brittenham.

About Sky

With 24 million customers across seven countries, Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of the Comcast group. Our 31,000 employees help connect our customers with the very best of Sports, News, the arts and to our own local, original content. Following the success of Sky originals like Chernobyl, Patrick Melrose, Das Boot and Gommorah we launched Sky Studios and now plan to more than double our investment in original drama and comedy over the next five years.

Our technology allows customers to watch what they want, when they want, how they want, and as we connect millions of families to content they love, it is our responsibility to do it safely – that’s why we offer services like Sky Broadband Buddy and the Sky Kids app. And our online streaming service, NOW TV, brings viewers all the enjoyment of Sky with the flexibility of a contract-free service.

We also believe that a company of our scale has a responsibility that goes beyond our business, and into the community. Our Sky Ocean Rescue campaign has reached millions across Europe, we’re on track to be free of single-use plastic by 2020, we’re investing £25million over five years in ocean-saving tech and we’re a proud employer – recognised by The Times and Stonewall for our approach to inclusivity.

About Punchdrunk International

Punchdrunk International produces artistic works created by Felix Barrett and the Punchdrunk creative team. In addition, the company produces a selection of Punchdrunk’s commercial productions for national and international audiences. It also creates innovation-led partnerships with selected organisations on a bespoke basis.

HBO® is one of the most respected and innovative entertainment brands in the world, serving iconic, award-winning programming to 140 million subscribers globally. A subsidiary of WarnerMedia, HBO is the world’s most successful pay TV service with an extensive array of programming that includes some of the most notable titles to be on television including Game of Thrones®, Big Little Lies®, Westworld®, The Sopranos®, Sex and the City®, Band of Brothers®, and The Wire®. In the United States, HBO® and sister network Cinemax® are available across multiple platforms including HBO On Demand®, Cinemax On Demand®, HBO GO® and MAX GO®, as well as HBO NOW®. Internationally, HBO branded services, including television networks and the standalone streaming product HBO GO®, are available in more than 70 countries across Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. HBO and Cinemax programming is also sold into more than 150 countries worldwide.